Ron Pratte's 1950 General Motors Futurliner "Parade of Progress" bus just dazzled the crowd at Barrett-Jackson. Again.
It hammered for $4,000,000 on Saturday night, the full proceeds of which benefit the Armed Forces Foundation. A phone bidder outbid stock-car-racing impresario Rick Hendrick for the spectacular old bus in the end.
Those of you who follow the annual Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction know the backstory here. For the rest of you, here's some context. In 2006, this very Futurliner was acquired by Ron Pratte in one of the most exciting single auction-lot sales you will ever watch.
The Futurliner's then-owner hoped to get $600,000 for it. It shot to a million. Then two. And then it got really crazy:
The final hammer price in '06 was $4.1 million. Pratte went ahead and re-restored the thing since then.
It's no less spectacular now than it was 64 years ago. Now the new owner gets the ultimate showpiece, and a worthy cause gets a giant pile of money.
Everybody wins.
If you'd like to donate to the Armed Forces Foundation, all you need to do is text AFF to 50555 to send them $10.
NYC native, now in suburban exile. Miami Hurricanes alum. Brown-car evangelist. Beleaguered Knicks fan. Prefers IndyCar to F1. Wants you to stop clogging the left lane, already.
